


Settling Down

by carylfic95



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-30
Updated: 2016-05-30
Packaged: 2018-07-11 03:25:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7026607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carylfic95/pseuds/carylfic95
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You ever think about it? Settling down?</p>
<p>As it turns out, Daryl has thought about settling down... A lot.</p>
<p>Disclaimer: I own nothing, although I would seriously love to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Settling Down

**Author's Note:**

> Set during 06x11 - Knots Untie
> 
> I was just thinking about how I would’ve liked Season 6 to go, and this happened…

_You ever think about it? Settling down?_

Abraham’s words resonated in Daryl’s skull like an echo down an empty corridor.

He thought for a moment before replying, speaking the first thing that came to mind.

“You think shit’s settled?” he huffed, then turned to leave.

Of course he thinks about settling down. He thinks about it all the time, but he’d never admit it to Abraham of all people. He hadn’t even spoken to Carol, his closest friend, about it. But then again, it’s Carol that his thoughts concerned, which made it even harder for him to admit it to himself or anyone.

It seemed everyone around him was settling down. Rick and Michonne, Glenn and Maggie, Denise and Tara, Aaron and Eric… The list went on. Hell, Glenn and Maggie were even having a kid.

He was afraid. That much he knew. He thought of every time he’d nearly lost Carol, and that only made him more afraid of taking the next step. He could hardly bear the thought of losing her now, how could he ever take it if he fully committed himself to her?

The thought also entered his mind that if he never did tell her, and he did lose her, that he’d always regret the ‘what if’.

Daryl had never connected with anyone on the level that he connects with Carol. That was another thing he was absolutely certain of. They had so much in common, she just got him and she didn’t even have to try. He wasn’t happy about what they most had in common, but he couldn’t change her past, he could only hope to make her future brighter.

And he knew her.

He thought about her short, grey, messy hair. He thought about her piercing blue eyes. He thought about her smile, and her cute giggle. He thought about how far she had come since they met, and how much he admired everything about her. He thought about how she made him feel safe…

Every waking thought of his circled back to Carol, and it drove him absolutely crazy. All of these thoughts raced through his head as he walked away from Abraham, and he kept walking, right up until he found himself at Carol’s door.

He knocked.

“Daryl?” Carol opened the door.

He saw her standing there, a genuine, albeit confused smile on her face. Daryl stood there looking dumbfounded, he was completely overwhelmed by his own feelings.

“What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to b-“

Carol was cut off as Daryl grabbed her face and kissed her hard.

He didn’t think twice before doing it, and then suddenly he wondered if he’d made a mistake. He didn’t even know if she felt the same towards him. She was so kind that maybe she treated everyone with the same level of affection as she did towards him, and suddenly he panicked.

He pulled away slowly, though his hands remained gently on either side of her face. Carol’s expression had changed completely, and her eyes flicked back and forth between his. She looked shocked, and he took that as a bad sign.

He dropped his hands and turned to leave. He was so embarrassed.

“Daryl, wait…” Carol reached out and grabbed his arm. Her heart was pounding so fast, and her head was spinning. She was pleasantly surprised when Daryl showed up unannounced, and she had never expected a kiss to follow.

She pulled him back inside and he obliged. Carol kicked the door shut behind him, and they stood there in silence for a moment looking at each other, studying each other’s faces. They both looked terrified, and they felt it too, but they also felt it had been a long time coming.

Carol stepped towards Daryl until they were only inches apart. She gently brought her left hand up to the side of his face, and then stroked the hair back out of his eyes; her right hand intertwined with his.

Daryl leaned into her touch and his eyes drooped shut. His heart was pounding so hard he could hear it. He even considered that maybe Carol could hear it too.

Carol pulled Daryl even closer, and brought her lips to his, ever so gently capturing them. She felt Daryl’s breath catch as she moved her lips against his.

Daryl was sure by this point that his heart might beat its way out of his chest. He brought his hand up to the nape of Carol’s neck, the other wrapping around her lower back as he kissed her back, deepening the connection. It started off slow, but gradually got more needing and desperate as neither of them could hold back any longer.

They stood there for what seemed like an eternity in an embrace, their want causing their kiss to become sloppier, their hands desperately running through each other’s hair, or trying to pull the other closer as if it was even possible.

Carol eventually pulled back slightly, resting her forehead against Daryl’s and looking into his eyes, her hand messily tangled in his hair.

“I think we should take this upstairs.” She said, cheekily.

Daryl nodded. He was almost shaking, he was so nervous. But at least now he knew.

“C’mon then.” Carol smirked, as she led Daryl upstairs.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know if you want a chapter 2 to find out what happened upstairs ;)


End file.
